Top 10 111 Class Videos

In this 3rd episode of Top 10 Videos we turn our attention to Locomotives after covering the Thumpers and we start the loco action with NIR's 111 Class GM's.

The 111 Class GM Locomotives were built by General Motors in La Grange Illinois USA and there is 3 locos in the fleet.

They were numbered 111 , 112 & 113
Translink have renumbered the 3 locos to 8111 , 8112 & 8113

Locos 111 & 112 Entered service in 1980
Loco 113 Entered service in 1984

111 Class Names
111 Great Northern
112 Northern Counties
113 Belfast & County Down

Immediately after entering service the 111 Class were allocated to work Enterprise Services between Belfast & Dublin they were used on the service until 1997 when The 201 Class & The De Dietrich Rolling Stock fully took over the service.

As well as their use on the Enterprise the 111 Class have also been used on various other duties over the years from Passenger trains across parts of the NIR network , Freight Trains , Engineering Trains & Railtours.
The 111s have also seen their fair share of use on special trains like Football & GAA specials etc.

The 111s have not just appeared around the NIR network during their life they have also made appeared across many parts of the Irish Rail network as well. Between 2003 & 2006 loco 112 went on loan to Irish Rail.

In 2001 NIR bought 8 Ex Gatwick Express Mk2 Coaches & They converted a Ex Enterprise Mk2 into a Generator Van to run with the coaches from England.
The coaches were known as the Gatwicks on NIR.
The interdiction of the Gatwick set resulted in the 111 Class being allocated to a daily passenger duty once again.

Diagrams that the 111s worked with the Gatwicks
A return morning rush hour service from Belfast to Portadown
A return evening rush hour service from Belfast to Newry

The 111s also worked the Enterprise with the Gatwicks on multiple occasions as well as that they have also worked some special services & railtours with the set the 111s were used in passenger service with the Gatwicks from 2001 to 2009 until the set was withdrawn after just 8 years of service with NIR.

The withdrawal of the Gatwicks also sadly meant the end for the 111s in use on daily passenger services.

Today the number of duties for the 111 Class has dropped unfortunately.
They are now only used on Engineering Trains , Railtours (But not very often) , & Shunting Duties.

These beautiful locomotives still have plenty of life left in them.

111 Class Fleet List
111 Based at Ballymena P Way Depot
112 Based at York Road Depot
113 Based at York Road Depot